Germany to hold snap election next February

BERLIN, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) — The ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD) has reached an agreement with opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) to hold a snap federal election on Feb. 23, 2025, German public broadcaster ZDF reported Tuesday.
The decision advanced the election date from originally scheduled Sept. 28. Meanwhile, Rolf Muetzenich, head of SPD parliamentary group, also said Tuesday that Chancellor Olaf Scholz will face a confidence vote at the Bundestag on Dec. 16.
The decisions came amid a political crisis within the ruling coalition. Earlier this month, the coalition of the SPD, the Greens, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) failed to agree on budgetary issues.
As a result, Scholz dismissed Finance Minister Christian Lindner, who is also the FDP leader. In response, the FDP announced its withdrawal from the coalition government.
Scholz has since proposed a Bundestag confidence vote for Jan. 15, 2025. However, opposition parties argue that the vote should be held sooner.
In a recent interview with broadcaster ARD, Scholz indicated he would consider scheduling the confidence vote before Christmas if all parties involved could reach a consensus on the timing.
Should Scholz fail the confidence vote, the president could dissolve the Bundestag, after which a new election should be held within 60 days. ■